EPS Graduate Programme 2024

Are you a talented MSc student interested in pursuing a scientific career in the plant sciences? And would you like to be informed about what a PhD project entails, about research and research groups in EPS? You can now apply to the 2024 EPS Graduate Programme.

NB! From 2024 onwards, the EPS Graduate Programme is divided in two stages:

  1. Getting Acquainted with Plant Sciences

The graduate school EPS will organise activities for you to become acquainted with each other, and with PI’s in EPS and their research. You will be invited to participate in the Annual meeting in Egmond aan Zee.

  1. In the second stage of the programme, you will be offered the opportunity to write your own PhD proposal. The writing course in which you write your own PhD proposal can be part of your MSc programme. All students who are accepted to the programme will be offered to participate in the writing course but the writing course it is not an obligatory part of the programme.

A maximum of 20-25 MSc students can participate in the EPS graduate programme. Please find information below on:

  • How to enter the EPS Graduate Programme;
  • The educational elements in the EPS Graduate Programme;
  • The time schedule.


How to enter the EPS Graduate Programme

If you would like to participate in the EPS Graduate Programme, please send your application to the executive secretary of EPS, Ingrid Vleghels (ingrid.vleghels@wur.nl) and include in your application:

  • A CV with BSc and MSc grades;
  • A recommendation letter from a university staff member (of one of the in EPS participating universities);
  • A letter with your motivation.

Deadline for application:  30 January 2024

Selection will be based on your BSc & MSc grades, references and motivation. An interview will be part of the selection procedure.

Participation is possible if:

  • You are an MSc student at one of the in EPS participating universities (WU, UU, UvA, LU, RU, VU and RUG), an Erasmus student or exchange student;
  • You expect to graduate early 2025 at the latest.

Time schedule

  • Application deadline EPS: 30 January 2024;
  • Interview selection:  5 & 6 February 2024;
  • Selection between 6 February and 15 February 2024;
  • EPS meeting Egmond aan Zee: 8 & 9 April 2024;
  • Deadline to inform EPS about writing course participation: 19 April 2024
  • Writing course EPS Research Master Cluster: May 13 – July 5, 2024;

NB! The previous version of the EPS graduate programme prepared you for the TKI call ‘Graduate Programme Green Top Sectors’. It is not yet known whether there will be a call in 2024. Irrespective of the opportunity to apply to a call, the programme is an opportunity to learn how to write a PhD proposal and a valuable addition to your MSc programme.